14 of the world’s best sparkling wines

The sparking wine category is on fire at the moment, not only in the UK but around the world. In February, Vinexpo CEO Guillaume Deglise described sparkling wine as “the hottest category in the world” due to its consistent growth since 2010.

UK consumption of sparkling wine by volume is expected to rise by 13% between now and 2019, compared with modest still wine growth of just 0.6%. Meanwhile, global sparkling wine consumption is expected to grow by 7.4% over the same period, with Asia, North and South America and Europe all expected to increase their volumes by more than a million 9-litre cases each.

This year sparkling wine sales in the UK soared past the £1 billion mark for the first time according to the WSTA, with retail sales during the first three months of the year enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Given the strength of the sparkling wine category, we decided to launch the Global Sparkling Masters this year, with judging taking place in London on 10 June at Cambridge Street Kitchen in London’s Pimlico.

Gathering a cherry-picked panel of Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers, our judges slurped their way through nearly 300 sparklers, taking in wines from Champagne, Franciacorta, Cava, Prosecco, England, Wales, South Africa, Australia and beyond.

The entries were tasted blind, scored out of 100 and awarded medals from Bronze to Gold, or the ultimate accolade of Master, which is given only to those wines deemed exceptional by the judges.

In this article, we’ve rounded up the top 14 best performing sparklers in the tasting – those wines that gained a Gold medal or above.

The judges

• Michael Edwards, journalist, author and Champagne expert
• Pierpaolo Petrassi MW, head of beers, wines and spirits, Waitrose
• Lucy Shaw, managing editor, the drinks business
• Clément Robert MS, group head sommelier and wine buyer, 28°-50°
• Roberto Della Pietra, sommelier and brand ambassador, French Bubbles
• Matthieu Longuère, wine development manager, Le Cordon Bleu
• Jonathan Pedley MW, wine lecturer and consultant
• Patrick Schmitt MW, editor-in-chief, the drinks business
• Patricia Stefanowicz MW, wine writer and consultant
• Alex Hunt MW, purchasing director, Berkmann Wine Cellars

Valdivieso Brut Nature

Producer: Valdivieso

Region: Bio-Bio and Leyda

Country: Chile

Vintage: 2014

Grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Price: £15

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: Elegant but concentrated due to 18 months of lees ageing, the wine is clean, structured and aromatic with good acidity and appealing freshness, via notes of green apple, lemons and almonds.

Edoardo Miroglio EM Blanc de Blancs

Producer: Edoardo Miroglio

Region: Nouazagora

Country: Bulgaria

Vintage: 2011

Grape varieties: Chardonnay

Price: £15

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: Intense, elegant and fine, the nose shows aromas of grapefruit, lemon and white fruits, and brioche in the finish. The wine spends two years on its lees.

Berlucchi 61 Franciacorta Brut

Producer: Berlucchi

Region: Franciacorta

Country: Italy

Vintage: NV

Grape varieties: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Price: £20

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: With two years of lees ageing, this is a crisp, rich and elegant wine with notes of apple, pear and citrus fruits, it boast exceptional freshness and zesty acidity.

Cattier Blanc de Blancs

Producer: Cattier

Region: Champagne

Country: France

Vintage: NV

Grape varieties: Chardonnay

Price: £30

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: A bright, refreshing flavour profile, with notes of lemon, peach, pear, dried apricots, vanilla and a touch of minerality. Lively with a long finish.

Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs

Producer: Wiston Estate

Region: Sussex

Country: England

Vintage: 2010

Grape varieties: Chardonnay

Price: £39.95

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: The estate’s first vintage Blanc de Blancs, the Chardonnay is sourced entirely from its single vineyard and is aged for nearly 4 years, which gives it a great balance of freshness and fullness of flavour. It has a lively nose with English meadow and baked apple aromas, a moreish texture and extreme finesse.

Benjamin Bridge Brut

Producer: Benjamin Bridge

Region: Nova Scotia

Country: Canada

Vintage: 2008

Grape varieties: L’Acadie, Seyval, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Price: £30

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: On the nose, youthful notes of juicy peaches, sea breeze and maritime minerals. On the palate, the wine reveals clarity and focus with hints of ripe cranberries and a fleur de sel-like minerality. Asian spices and more mineral notes resonate throughout a deep, persistent finish due to four years lees ageing.

Champagne de Saint Gall Blanc de Blancs

Producer: De Saint Gall

Region: Champagne

Country: France

Vintage: NV

Grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Price: £30

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: A very refined drop: fresh, focused and well structured with lowish dosage and hints of brioche and citrus fruits. A Champagne that will age well, too. Rich and creamy in character with a fine, crisp mousse.

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Producer: Taittinger

Region: Champagne

Country: France

Vintage: 2006

Grape varieties: Chardonnay

Price: £100

Medal: Master

Tasting note: With 5% of the wine aged in oak, this honeyed, gold Champagne has a beautifully fine mousse, and a broad, mouth-filling toasty palate with nutty hints and a lively freshness.

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque

Producer: Perrier-Jouët

Region: Champagne

Country: France

Vintage: 2007

Grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier

Price: £85

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: A refined and subtle blend with a broad aromatic palette and a subtle persistence. Floral, and diamond-cut, it’s a crystalline vintage whose subtlety and generosity highlight the precision of Perrier-Jouët style. An epicurean wine.

Champagne de Saint Gall Orpale Grand Cru

Producer: De Saint Gall

Region: Champagne

Country: France

Vintage: 2002

Grape varieties: Chardonnay

Price: £70

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: Aromas of white flowers, peach, yellow plums, citrus, bread, smoke, butter and a hint of vanilla. It is full-bodied with a good concentration of fruit on the palate – rich layers of warm brioche and cream are freshened by a lighter citrus note.

Masottina Le Rive di Ogliano Extra Dry

Producer: Masottina

Region: Conegliano Valdobbiadene

Country: Italy

Vintage: 2015

Grape varieties: Glera

Price: £25

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: Fresh and clean, with notes of grapefruit, limes and lemons, ripe pears, roses, melons, quince, yellow peaches and candied ginger. On the palate it is both soft and harmonious with an elegant touch of citrus fruit and traces of Japanese mandarins. An elegant well-balanced wine.

Cavit Altemasi Brut Rosé

Producer: Cavit

Region: Trento DOC

Country: Italy

Vintage: NV

Grape varieties: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Price: £15

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: With up to two years on its lees, this light pink rosé has complex aromas of ripe cherry, red currant and red apple. Rich on the palate, it has good balance and a long finish.

Champagne de Saint Gall Glam Brut Rosé

Producer: De Saint Gall

Region: Champagne

Country: France

Vintage: 2009

Grape varieties: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Price: £50

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: Just 500 bottles of this saignée rosé were made. Powerful on the palate with notes of morello cherries and wild strawberries, this is a handsome rosé with a creamy finish characterised by its force and fineness.

Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé

Producer: Perrier-Jouët

Region: Champagne

Country: France

Vintage: NV

Grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier

Price: £50

Medal: Gold

Tasting note: Salmon-pink in hue with red berry, blood orange and pomegranate aromas over honeysuckle and brioche notes. Rich and seductive in the mouth, it offers a lively mousse, excellent complexity and a long, lingering finish.